Word
intelligentsia
Phoneticsin·tel·li·gentsia
US/ˌɪnˌtɛɫəˈdʒɛntsiə/
UK/ɪntˌɛlɪdʒˈɛntsiə/
Definition
n. a group of people who are highly educated and interested in politics and culture. They often use their knowledge to influence how society thinks and changes.
n. the class of highly educated people who are concerned with the intellectual and cultural life of a society. Often used to describe those who provide the theoretical basis for political or social change.
Examples
“The local intelligentsia gathered to discuss the new government policy.”
“During the revolution, the intelligentsia played a key role in publishing pamphlets that explained the new ideas to the general public.”
“The ruling party sought to co-opt the urban intelligentsia by offering them prestigious academic positions, hoping to stifle the spread of dissenting political theories within the university system.”
Examples
simple
“The local intelligentsia gathered to discuss the new government policy.”
contextual
“During the revolution, the intelligentsia played a key role in publishing pamphlets that explained the new ideas to the general public.”
complex
“The ruling party sought to co-opt the urban intelligentsia by offering them prestigious academic positions, hoping to stifle the spread of dissenting political theories within the university system.”
Real-World Examples
“The children had been detained in labor camps in Siberia, victims of the Soviet push to deport the Polish intelligentsia and their families in the early years of World War II.” Etymology
From Russian интеллиге́нция (intelligéncija) or Polish inteligencja, from Latin intellegentia (“intelligence”). Doublet of intelligence.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/intelligentsia